Martin halfpenny



(No Model.)

M. HALFPENNY.

ROAD CART.

PatentedJune 16,1891.

IWVENTOQ WMT- 4%? NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MARTIN HALFPENNY, OF PONTIAC, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO O. V. TAYLOR d: 00., OF SAME PLACE.

R O A D C A R T SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 454,347, dated. June 16, 1891.

Application filed February 16, 1891. Serial No. 381,585. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARTIN IIALFPENNY, a citizen of the United States, residing at P011- tiac, county of Oakland, State of Michigan,

have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Road-Carts; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains IO to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of a road-cart embodying my invention. Fig. 2

I 5 is a longitudinal central section on a vertical plane showing parts in elevation. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. at is a variation showing the means for adjusting to a higher or lower level about the pivotal point of the suspending-arm. Fig. 5 is a separate view of the suspending-bar and its hook.

My invention has for its object, first, a novel construction whereby the body is suspended at its forward end from the shafts by a swing- 2 5 ing or vibrating dash-board, wherein the said dash-board is itself utilized as a suspendinglink; second, in the provision of novel means for supporting the rear end of the body from the shafts, making the same adjustable and loeating the point of suspension at any desired position back of the axle, the same consisting, essentially, in a supporting-arm to which the rear portion of the body is suspended, said arm pivoted to the shaft, and its point 3 5 of suspension raised and lowered by turning the said pivoted arm about its pivot.

In carrying out myinvcntion, Arepresents the shafts, and 13 the body, of the road-cart.

O is the cross-bar of the shafts.

B is the dash-board. This dash-board is pivoted at its lower portion to the body at b and at its upper portion is pivoted in any convenient way at Z) to the shafts or cross-bar O. This hinging at the top and bottom may be eifect-ed in any convenient way. This mechanism (shown in the drawings) .consists of a strap Z2 to which the dash-board is rigidly at:

tached, said strap terminating at the top in the hinge b and at the bottom terminating in the hinge b. This construction affords ample support for the dashboard to prevent it from warping, and allows the dash and forward end of the body to vibrate or swing under the cross-bar between the shafts and prevents the mud from coming up between the cross-bar and the dash.

D is a bracket secured to the shafts, and preferably to the inside of the shaft, although it may be located upon the outside, if desired.

D is a suspending-arm pivoted at d to the bracket and at (1' provided with a suitable hook adapted to engage any one of the series of orifices (Z whereby the rear end of the suspending-bar may be adjusted to a higher or lower level. 6 5

E is a spiral spring. This is represented as constituting the connecting-link between the extremity of a cross-spring F and the suspending-bar I). The body is thus supported by pivoted links both at its forward and rear 0 ends, thereby converting the horse motion into longitudinal motion in the well-known way. Instead of the cross-spring F, there may be employed simply a cross-bar beneath the rear of the body, and these springs E may simply connect this cross-bar with the rear end of the suspending-bars D, or they may connect any other form of spring or any other part upon the body with the rear end of the suspending-bars. So, also, if the rear end of o the suspending-bar is not sufficiently high to admit of an interposed link between it and any such cross-bar or other part of the body, then the rear ends of the suspending-bars may be curved upward, so as to locate the point of suspension at any desired height. So again, while I prefer the spring-link E, I would have it understood that my invention contemplates any form of rigid or spring link at this point. 0

I have shown in Fig. 2 the suspending-bar as pivoted at its forward end and made vertically adjustable by the hooks d and slots (Z It is manifest, however, that, as shown in Fig. t, the bar may be pivoted between its 5 extremities, and the adjustment might then be effected by elevating or depressing the forward end of the said suspending-bars. By this construction it is manifest that the sus pending-bar may be-projected to any desired Ioc distance back of the axle, and so accommodate any particularconstruction of cart-body which might require the suspending-links to be a greater or less distance to the rear of the axle.

I WVhat I claim is V 1. In a road-cart, the combination, with the body and shafts, of a separable dash-board pivoted at its lower portion to the body and at its upper port-i011 to the shafts or cross-bar, substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. In a road-cart, the combination, with the body and shafts, of suspending-bars pivoted to the shafts and projecting back of the same for supporting the body, said bars provided with means whereby they maybe vertically adjusted about their pivotal points, substantially as and for the purposes described.

3. In a road-cart, the combination, with the body and shafts, of suspending-bars pivoted to the shafts and projecting back of the same, said bars provided with means whereby they may be vertically adjusted about their pivotal points, and links connecting the rear portion of the body with said suspending-bars, substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. In a road-cart, the combination, with the shafts, of brackets D and suspending-bars D, said bars pivoted at their forward ends to the bracket and at the rear portion of the bracket provided with means whereby the adjacent portion of the bar may be secured at different elevations to the said bracket, substantially as and for the purposes described.

5. In a road-cart, the combination, with the shafts, of the bracket D, provided with slots (1 and the suspension-bar D, pivoted at d to the'bracket and at (1 provided with a hook adapted to engage any one of said slots d substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In a road-cart, the combination,with the body and shafts, of a dash-board pivoted at its upper portion to the shaft or cross-bar and at its lower portion to the body and constituting a supporting-link for the body, suspending-bars pivoted to the sh afts,with means for adjusting them vertically about their pivotal points, and links engaging the rear portion of the body with the rear portions of said suspending-bars, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN HALFPENNY. lVitnesses:

MARION A. REnvE, FRANK P. HAINES. 

